


New Neighbors

by HumanRacing



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Eivor with made up character, F!Eivor - Freeform, F/F, Female Eivor (Assassin's Creed), Female!Eivor - Freeform, First Time, Fluff, Many more times, Romance, Second Time, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:54:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28406592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HumanRacing/pseuds/HumanRacing
Summary: Mary hates the idea of having Vikings as neighbors. Until she meets a certain blonde warrior that takes her breath away.Also: Mary has never been in love before and is still a virgin. Eivor on the other hand is an excellent teacher. ;)
Relationships: Eivor (Assassin's Creed) & Reader, Eivor (Assassin's Creed)/Original Female Character(s), Eivor (Assassin's Creed)/Reader, Eivor/Other
Comments: 13
Kudos: 110





	1. Mary

For the 5th day in a row I was awoken by the sound of hunting Danes. They would ride their horses in the early mornings just before sunset, to hunt wolves, boars and probably even fish if there would be honor in doing so. They were loud, obnoxious, and they were our new neighbors.

I live in a small village with about 20 houses and a little over 50 people. We have a bakery, butcher, and pretty much everything else you would expect in a Mercian village. There is not a single thing that makes it even remotely special. Until the Danes settled along the river about 50 moons ago.

At first there were only a dozen of them, which was still manageable. But soon more boats would arrive, and before we knew it they had build quite an impressive Viking metropole called Ravensthorpe at the foot of the hill.  
The problem was, nobody was too keen on their behavior. There were the early morning huntings, they held feasts during the nights and every now and then this annoying horn sounded through the forest at the most unpleasant times. My house is the first one you’d see if you walk up the hill from Ravensthorpe. Which means I am fortunate enough to live on the intersection between the Viking village and the forest, and had to deal with their shenanigans more than anyone else.

Although still dark outside, I was unable to fall back asleep.  
To make the most of this unfortunate event, I decided to get out of bed and write.

Because I never had the pleasure of traveling, I made up stories about foreign lands and places I would probably never visit. I could write for hours at the time, especially at night when everything was quiet and serene.  
It felt good to escape my live every now and then. Even though there was absolutely nothing wrong with it, it wasn’t very eventful either. My family was here, my friends were here, there was no reason not to be content. Yet I felt myself escaping into these fictional stories more often than usual.

I got myself some breakfast, a piece of paper and my new quill. I tied my hair in a bun, lid a candle and let my mind wander.

==

“Mary, are you awake?”

A knock on the door made me look up from my paper. The sun had already come out. Had it really been that many hours?

“Mary?”

I smiled at the sound of my friends voice from the other side of the door. Knowing she would see herself in anyway, I just turned around and waited for her to enter. She stuck her head around the corner. “You decent?”

I rolled my eyes. _As if that would stop her._  
Gwen was the most cheery and optimistic person I knew. She was full of energy and never backed out of an adventure. Her long dark, almost black, hair and light hazel eyes made many men’s head turn. And she enjoyed their attention immensely. It was one of the many things we had not in common. Even though we were nothing alike, we’d knew each other for over 20 years and had this unbreakable bond no matter what.

She sat down on my bed. “We’re going to Ravensthorpe!”

It took me a moment to process and tilt my head. “You’re what?”

“We’re going to Ravensthorpe.” She repeated. “The village on th..”

“I know where Ravensthorpe is.” I interrupted. “What I meant is, why?”

She had the usual sparkle in her eyes and I knew this was going to be a bad idea. “We were invited to join their festival today.”

_Of course there was another festival._

She fumbled with a strand of hair that that she had missed during braiding. She really took some effort in her appearance today. An expensive dress, new shoes and somehow she managed to color her cheeks and lips.

"Me and Kath met some Danes last night. They asked us to join their festivities today.”

She noticed I wasn’t too thrilled about the idea, and I braced myself for a speech to win me over.

Without announcement my other friend Katharine stormed in.  
“Did you hear? Vikings!” She was very excited, which was much unlike her.

Me and Katharine were very much alike. People often thought we were sisters because of the brown hair and light greenish eye color. The main difference in our appearance was our height. I was almost a head taller. And unfortunately I lacked her freckles. She hated them, but I always thought they looked cute.  
Besides that, we both loved to read, enjoyed nature, and we both had this bad habit to let ourselves be dragged into whatever situation Gwen had gotten herself into. We often complained about it, but deep down we knew our lives would be utterly boring without a friend like Gwen.

I looked at the both of them and figured the reason for their excitement wasn’t the festival, it were the Danes.

They were the only people in this village who were actually excited when the Danes arrived. Sometimes the three of us would site at the top of the hill overlooking Ravensthorpe, and they would comment on all the men walking around at the docks.  
I tried so hard to see the appeal, but I just could not wrap my head around it.

“Please join us Mary.” Katharine could pout her lip like no other, and those puppy eyes didn’t help either.

“I’ll think about it.” It was a promise I instantly regretted. There were some things I still needed to do and that I wasn’t sure if I would be up for it afterwards. I bid them farewell and again promised to maybe stop by later.

===

My chores of the day ended with chopping firewood for my mom who lived a few houses up the road.  
I dragged a large pile of wood behind me thought the village and was happy when her house finally came into sight.

“Honey is that you?” She yelled from the back of the house.

“No mom, the wood travelled here by itself.”

“What?” She yelled.

She was getting deaf which was slightly frustrating. Most of the times she just pretended not hear the things she didn’t want to hear. Like when I told her for the 20th time that I didn’t want a date with her neighbor’s son, and miraculously he showed up anyway. Or that I didn’t look flustered when her friend’s son winked at me. It was disgust, not a fluster. No matter what I say to her, she makes up her own story anyway.

As I entered the house she was sitting at the dinner table waiting with tea and biscuits.  
“What were you saying earlier honey?”

"I said I carried all the wood here by myself”.

She leaned backwards in her chair wrapping her hands around the warm cup of tea. “That’s no job for a lady. You know, the son of Leopold down the street is really strong and he…”

While she kept talking, my mind drifted off into a mom-free space. Over the years I had learned to nod at the right cue and push in an occasional _uhu_ to fake my interest.  
I had given up on the fact that this behavior would ever stop, unless I got married. And that was not something that was going to happen any time soon.

“...he’s such a nice boy.” She ended.

I scraped my throat. “You know, he’s almost 30. He’s not a boy anymore. Besides, if he’s so prefect, why isn’t he married yet?”

_Checkmate._

“You are 26 and you are not married yet. But there’s nothing wrong with you now is there? You’re just picky. Maybe he is picky as well. You’ll make a fine couple.”

_Shit_

“I have to go.” I downed the last of my tea and when I noticed my mom’s disappointment, I told her a little white lie to make her smile again. “I’m going to a festival with Gwen and Katharine. They.. _we_ are meeting some men.” I fell dirty for lying to her, I fell dirty for whoring myself out to fictive men. But some things were more important than self pride.

It did indeed make her happy. “Well that’s lovely dear! Where is this festival?”

I quickly shoved a biscuit into my mouth and said _Ravensthorpe_ , knowing she wouldn’t understand.

“Havenport?” She looked confused. “Never heard of that before. Well, be careful dear!”

“I will!” I waved her goodbye and started making a run for it.  
As soon as turned the corner my pace slowed down and I started to wonder. What _is_ wrong with me? Why haven’t I found love yet?

Gwen and Katharine were also not married. But Katharine lost her fiancé during a war, so she had quite a good reason. And Gwen, well, she’s slightly younger than me, which makes it more acceptable I suppose. Besides, she’s not one for scaring men away. She enjoys their company, likes to talk about them, and well she’s just Gwen. Everybody knows she will be ok and find somebody.

I felt rather bad for lying to my mom, and told myself that the only way to get rid of the guild was to actually go to that festival. It might be a good thing to get to know the Danes. Maybe I could ask them to keep it down a little in the morning.

I took a quick stop at my house to clean myself up, and make myself party proof.  
From the window I could almost see Ravensthorpe. The view was being blocked by some trees, but I was able to hear music and every now and then some laughter. It did sound like fun though.

I closed my door and made my way down hill.


	2. Meeting the Raven Clan

Ravensthorpe was a completely different place up close. Most of the huts were overshadowed by large trees, which made everything but the docks hard to see from up hill. There were large wooden statues at every turn, and there were flowers and garlands all over town. The latter were probably part of todays celebration.

Although late in the afternoon, the weather was still rather warm, so loads of activities took place outside. I could only imagine how hot it must be for these Danes who were mainly used to snow and cold.  
  
As the road split in two, I considered my options. _How on earth am I going to find them?_  
A woman came up to me. She had a bow strapped to her back, and chances were she was one of the hunters who woke me up every morning. She spoke to me in a foreign language, and I figured it must be Danish.

"I’m sorry I don’t…” I made some hand gestures in the hopes she would somehow understand.  
  
“Who are you looking for?” She asked.

I laughed at my own stupidity, of course she spoke English. “I’m looking for my friends.”

She signaled me to follow her and led me to a hall which was filled with long wooden benches and tables. The smell of alcohol and roasted pig filled my nostrils. This must be the main hall where most feasts took place if the weather wouldn’t be so nice.   
She pointed to a group of people in the middle of the hall, which happened to be the friends I was looking for. _I guess we are the only Mercians here._   
I turned around to thank the woman, but she was already on her way back.

Gwen and Katharine were accompanied by a few Danes. One of the men was telling them a story, using many hand motions and a loud voice. It was obvious he was trying to impress _the ladies_. And he clearly succeeded. Gwen and Kath seemed in awe of him. Even from this distance it was clear he was telling a story about some battle. And the way he was making bash and slash movements told me he was on the winning end. With every fake punch my friends would scream as if they were actually terrified. And I shook my head in disbelieve. It was just a story for god sake, and probably even made up.

Every step closer to the group made me regret my decision. This was really not my scene.  
To make the best of it, I took a quick detour past a kettle which alcohol scent filled the air. I got one of the wooden jugs next to it, and filled it up. The smell wasn’t so bad, the taste however was a whole other story. Not to be rude, I put the drink on a table, and in a nonchalant manner forgot about it. _Guess I’m doing this sober._

“MARY!” Gwen screamed. She swung an arm around my neck and dragged me towards the rest of the group. “Guys, this is my friend Mary I was talking about earlier.”

I gave her a questioning look. “You talked about me?”  
  
One of the Danes leaned in, the bad smell of alcohol on his breath made me flinch. “You, milady, are apparently the most elusive bachelorette in the country.”

Gwen started laughing until I gave her a resentful look.  
“Oh come on Mary, it’s true. No man has ever managed to win your heart. Maybe these warriors will?”

It had in no doubt been a harmless conversation caused by too much alcohol, but that didn’t make it any better.  
Gwen took a step backwards as I raised my voice to her. “You did what?!”

“It’s was just a joke” Katharine explained, trying to ease the situation.

This was definitely no joke to me. This matchmaking had to stop, and chatting up some _hairy_ Viking had been the last drop. “We’re past this being a joke! Did anyone ever consider that I might not want to get married? That I like being by myself?”

The girls were taken aback by my outburst and I realized this had definitely not been a good first impression. Before they could respond, their attention went to someone behind me.

“Which of you slime-balls is trying to chat up this lady?”

I turned around to meet the person who’s raspy voice just interrupted my tantrum.  
Behind me stood a woman, tall, blond, with piercing blue eyes and a huge scar on her left cheek. It was obvious she was different from the other women in Ravensthorpe. The weapons that were hanging from her belt told she was a warrior, a Viking.

“Eivor!” The men howled. “Eivor, these are our neighbors from the village up the road.”

While they introduced her to my friends, all I could do was stare. There was something about her that mesmerized me, she was enchanting. I had never seen anyone like her before.

“Hi, I’m Eivor.” She said as held out her hand.  
I greeted her and introduced myself. Or at least I think I did. Everything that had happened in the last 30 seconds was a complete blur.

“So are these guys bothering you?” She tried to look serious, but I could tell she was joking.

I shook my head and couldn’t keep myself from stuttering. “N-No uhh, my friends are bothering me.” I gave them a smile to ease the tension and let them know we’re ok.

“You know what I always do when my friends are annoying me?” she said.

I shrug my shoulders.

“I hit them on the head!” She gave one of the other Danes a playful bash agains his skull. Even though everybody laughed, by the sound of it, it must have been painful as hell. _I like her._

Eivor joined in on the story telling and decided to tell her own. She told of raids, conquests, and stories of lands far beyond your wildest imagination. Listening to her was a pleasure, and she inspired me to use her stories in my next writings. With her approval of course.

====

As we made our way back home, I couldn’t help but feel content about the day we’d had. It was good to meet some new people.

“I think Svend was the best looking, and he’s smart too!” Gwen started. “Although Halfdan seems to have a great body somewhere under all those layers of clothing! Did you see those arms?” They started laughing and I joined in for the sake of it. Truth be told, I had no idea which one was which.

“I think Toke was the best story teller. It felt so vivid. So exciting!” Katharine continued.

I scoffed. “I really don’t understand this fascination with their stories. They're just stories, and probably not even real. They were only trying to impress you, and you both fell for it.”

The girls looked at each other. Many unspoken words were exchanged, and all were lost on me.

“What?!”

There was silence until Katharine gave a chuckle. “You mean, hanging on their every word? Laughing at their jokes and pretend to be interested?”

This somehow felt like a trap. “Exactly.”

“So, you mean just like you did when Eivor was telling them?”

I stopped in my tracks. Confused at to what they were getting at. “Her stories were good. Have you not been listening?”

Katharine put her hand on my shoulder. “Honey, they were just like any other story. They were all the same.”

“You’re crazy” I mumbled and continued the last few steps to my front door. Their team-up started to irritate me. First the matchmaking, and now this. Eivor was clearly different from the rest, and I was annoyed my friends couldn’t see that.

Gwen shook her head. “You’re hopeless. We’ll see you at sunset alright?"

My hand was already on the doorknob when I turned around to her. “Excuse me?”

“We agreed to go hunting with the group.” Kath reminded me.

 _When did I agreed to go hunting?_ I tried to recall when the subject of hunting had come up, and I vaguely remembered it was during one of Eivor’s tales. She made it seem so exciting, that we all decided to join them next time. Which apparently was in a few hours.

 _Would she be there as well?_ With that in mind, the idea of hunting suddenly became quite appealing.  
“Fine, it’s not like they will let me sleep in anyway. I might as well join them.”


	3. Hunting

My sleep got once again interrupted by a noise outside my door. Too tired to care, I pulled the blanket over my head and buried myself into a pillow to muffle the sound. It was still dark outside so I just assumed it was either an animal or the Danes. I silently cursed them both for pulling me out of my dreams.

When the noise continued, I recognized it as knocking. Still half asleep, I stumbled out of bed to see what maniac was disrupting me in the middle of the night. I picked up my woodchopping axe for security, and as the door swung open, I came face to face with the familiar blue eyes from the night before.

Eivor didn’t even flinch by the sight of my axe.

“Something tells me you don’t know how to use that.”

“What?” I was still trying to register what was happening.

“The axe,” she pointed to the object in my hand “you’re not holding it in the right position. There’s no way you could have taken a swing at me.”

She couldn’t have been more right about that. The axe made me feel safe, but I had no idea how to use it. Yet here I was, trying to defend myself from whatever I was expecting on the other side of that door. 

“If you want I can teach you.” Her voice was kind. Still raw, but different from the night before. Maybe this was her morning voice, or her hangover voice. It was no secret the Danes knew how to hold their liquor. But she had lifted my expectations to another level.  
She drank 3 men under the table during a drinking contest, and celebrated her victory with yet another jug of mead. _How on earth can she still look this good after a night like that?_

I looked up at her. “I would like that.”

“Come on Mary!” I squinted my eyes and could faintly make out Katharine’s silhouette in the distance. “Why aren’t you ready?” She yelled. 

Eivor smiled. “You forgot didn’t you?”

“Yes…no…I just lost track of time. You know with sleeping and all…” I excused myself to get dressed and quickly glanced into the mirror. The bags under my eyes were a reminder that 5 hours of sleep was not nearly enough, but it’ll have to do for now.

We followed the rest of the group in a much slower pace until they were out of our sight. And if it weren’t for the faint voices in the distance, I could have sworn we were the only two people here. It was pitch-black around us, and although that would usually unnerve me, I felt completely safe with Eivor by my side.  
  
“Did you have fun yesterday?” She asked me.

“I did. You Danes know how to party.”

“Well actually, we’re Norse.” The amusement in her voice indicated it was a common mistake. “But yes, we do like our parties. I hope they’re not too much of a burden for you? Living that close to our village.”

This was the moment I should have brought up the noise, yet I decided otherwise. “Not unless I’m invited.”

She gave me a smirk. “Alright, I’ll make sure to keep inviting you.”  
  
Even in the dark, my blush didn’t go unnoticed. She seemed amused by my sudden fluster and kept her gaze on me.

“The dress tells me this is your first hunt.”

I gave a nervous chuckle. “Is it that obvious?”  
  
“Kind of.”

“I did kill a mosquito ones. Does that count?”

She laughed. “It’s a start. But let’s find out if you can also kill a boar or a wolf."

Before I could react to that, there were screams coming the distance, followed by the sound of a wild animal. As Gwen and Katharine appeared on the horizon, running back towards us, Eivor made a sprint towards the fight. “Stay here.” She ordered.

I felt an instant fear from being left alone, and waited impatiently for my friends.  
“What happened? Where are the others?”

“Bear.” Katharine replied between breaths. She pointed in the direction Eivor had ran off to. “A bear.”

“She's running towards a bear?” Without giving it a second thought I ran after her.

“Where the hell are you going?” Katharine yelled.

I had no idea where I was going or what I was going to do once I got there. But starting here like a coward was not an option. I had to do something. I pulled my skirt up to my knees to make the running easier, and wondered why the hell I picked a dress.

The panic started to creep up on me as the noises where getting closer. This didn’t sound like a cute baby bear.

When I reached the end of the path, I got pushed to the ground as I saw a bear running towards me. I dug my fingernails into the dirt below me to brace myself for impact while Eivor pinned me down. She turned around and shot an arrow straight through the bear’s heart. The ground beneath me shook as the bear fell down at my feet. 

My heart was pounding and I gave myself a moment to process. Eivor was bending over me, eyes wide with fear. “Are you ok? What were you even doing here? I told you to stay put!” 

_Was she angry with me?   
_“I...I...”

“You could have been hurt, or worse!” She snapped before getting back on her feet.

“Mary! Are you ok?” Katharine dropped herself to the floor, touching and inspecting my face. “You have blood on your cheek!”

I touched my face and realized the blood came from my hands. “I’m fine.” I pulled away from her, trying to get up. “Just some scratches.”

“Eivor saved your friends life.” Toke explained to Gwen, giving Eivor a pat on the shoulder for doing a good job.

“She shouldn’t have needed to be saved in the first place.” Eivor mumbled to him. Probably not realizing I could hear her.

My heart sink by her words. She was disappointed and she had every right to be. This had been a stupid move that could have gotten someone killed.

We decided to call it a day. And they packed up the bear to bring it back to Ravensthorpe.

I didn’t say a word on the way back, and just followed the group in silence, trying not to bother anyone. Katharine kept checking up on me, and every now and then removed a leaf or twig from my hair.

“I’m going back to sleep” I mumbled as we reached my house.

I crawled into bed and screamed in my pillow to relieve some of the tension. Whenever I closed my eyes I saw the image of the bear with those enormous claws and teeth coming straight at me. Then my mind wandered to Eivor, and that terrified look on her face.All I wanted to do was go back to sleep and forget about this day.

====

There was a knock on my door. “Mary? It’s me, Eivor.”

I sat up and looked through the window. It was light outside, but still morning.  
I quickly opened the door when I heard her footsteps turning away from my house. “Hi!” I yelled after her.

She turned around. “Sorry I didn’t mean to wake you.”

Seeing her in plain daylight for the first time made me once again realize how extremely beautiful she was.  
“That’s ok.” I replied with a sheepish grin on my face. “I couldn’t asleep anyway.”

She took a few steps forward. “How are you?”

I showed her the scratches on my hands. “Still in one piece thanks to you. I might be a bit bruised tomorrow.”

“What were you doing there anyway?”

I had feared this question would come. And I had been thinking about that for the past few hours.“I figured you could use my help. Me being good with an axe and all.”

She couldn’t help but smile. “I’m serious though. Why did you come after me?”

“I really don’t know” It was the painful truth. “Maybe to see you in action?”  
There was no other explanation for my behavior. But she took it with humour. 

“Well I guess you got front row seats then.”

“Yes, the full Eivor experience.” I added.

“Oh that was not even close to the full experience.” She winked at me, and it took me completely off guard.

She scraped her throat to break the awkward silence. “Anyway, I have something for you.” She handed me a package, and I could not quite figure out what it was at first, until the smell of freshly cooked meat reached my nose. “Nobody deserve a piece of bear more than you.”

Although hungry, the idea of eating an animal that almost killed me a few hours back, was rather unappealing.  
  
I politely thanked her for the meat and quickly went inside to put it away. As I heard footsteps behind me I realized she had followed me in. I took a quick mental stroll through Ravensthorpe and reckoned how none of their huts had doors. Entering someones house must be a custom thing for the Norse.

“You read?” She asked while looking at my collection of scrolls.

“I write actually.”

She seemed impressed and it felt good to show her there was more to me then being bear-bait.

“What do you write about?”

“Anything really. Places I would like to visit. My observation of the world, people. I write about life, about love.”

She leaned back against the door while folding her arms. “So the elusive bachelorette _has_ been in love? Maybe you should tell your friends that some time.

I clenched my jaw when a slight irritation creeped up on me by the mention of my so-called friends.“I don’t think you need to experience love to understand it.” I explained. “I can fathom the idea of giving everything up for another person, to give your live for someone else. I just personally have never met someone that made me feel that way. But that doesn’t mean I don’t understand.”

It was evident by the expression on her face that she did not agree with me. Another awkward silence followed and I blurred our the first thing that came to mind. “Have you?”

She cocked an eyebrow. “Have I what?”

“Have you ever been in love?” I regretted the question the moment it came out. My heart was racing as I waited for her to answer.

“I have.” She revealed.

Eivor started to fumble with the leather grip of her sword. Which by the look of it was something she did often. I guessed it was one of those nervous ticks, like biting nails. She stared into nothingness, as she spoke.

“If you have never been in love, I must say I envy you.”

“Why is that?”

She frowned for a moment before looking back at me. “There really is nothing better than being in love and having that love returned. The heartbreak however, is the worst feeling you can imagine.”

It was obvious someone had broken her heart, and it made me regret the question even more. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”

“Not to worry. It’s been a while, and we’re better off as friends anyway.” She forced a smile on her face and pushed herself away from the door. “Anyway, I should get going. Enjoy the meat, and please, stop by sometime.”

I wanted to scream and beg for her to stay. I needed to end her visit on a positive note, not like this.

“Eivor!” I called after her. “I haven't properly thanked you for saving my life today. So - thank you.”

Her smile was timid. “Any time.” she replied as she closed the door behind her.

I crawled back into the bed and stared at the ceiling. _What is wrong with me?_


	4. Love

A few days went by without seeing our new friends. According to Gwen they were on some far away voyage and wouldn’t be back for another 10 days.

During their previous journeys I had always enjoyed the peace and quiet that came along with it. There was less hunting, no feasts, no noise. It was pure bliss. This time however, I found myself more often than not wondering how a certain blonde warrior was doing, and more importantly, if she was safe.We hadn’t spoken anymore since she brought me the bear-meat. And the way we had ended our last conversation was somewhat of a burden.

It was a good thing Katharine and me had planned to spend a day at the lake near our village. Time to clear my head and relax. Summer was almost at its end, and we wanted to enjoy the sun while we still had the chance. As always I had brought some bread and cheese, and Kath made sure the ale kept flowing.I lay down on a blanket and felt the warm sun wash over me. It was so peaceful.  
  
“Mary?”

“Hmm?”

“I think I’m in love with Toke.”

Her statement came as no surprise. They hit it off from the start, and had spend almost every day together ever since. His name came up whenever she had the chance, and it had become even worse since he left on his two-week journey. “I’m happy for you Kath.” I sat up to face her. “He does love you back right?”

“I think he does.” She replied. “He says he does.”

“Good.” I lay back down. “I will kick his ass if he doesn’t.”

Kath chuckled. “How about you?”

“I am not in love with Toke.” I stated.

She gave me a playful punch. “Don’t be an idiot.”

I laughed. “Well you asked.”

“You know that’s not what I asked. You’re an idiot, _Virgin_ Mary.”

She loved using that nickname. It started off as Bloody Mary when I had my first period. Then 5 years ago Gwen decided to chance it to Virgin Mary. Who would have guessed it would still apply today?

“Do you happen to know which one of the guys was Eivor’s lover?”

I peaked through my eyelids. Partly to avoid the sun in my eyes, but mostly to seem indifferent about the question. Instead of looking at me there was a huge grin on her face.

“I haven’t heard anything about that. Why?”

“Why are you grinning?”

“Nothing hon.”

=====

When the sun started to set, we packed our things and walked back to the village.  
We decided to pay a quick visit to my mom since we passed her house anyway. She was famous for her home made biscuits, and Katharine was her number one fan.

“Dears! How nice to see you!” She poured us some tea, and set the table with an extra plate for Katharine’s biscuit addiction. “So how was Havenport?”

At first I didn’t understand what she was talking about, until it finally hit me. She meant Ravensthorpe!   
Katharine had already fixed the misunderstanding before I could come up with an excuse.

“I think you mean Ravensthorpe. We went there a few days ago.”

My mother looked at me. “Is that true? You had a date with one of those _vikings_?” Her opinion was loud and clear. Just like everybody else in the village she hated the Norsemen.

Katharine looked back and forth between the two of us. “No actually, I did.” She admitted with some hesitation.  
  
My mom shook her head in disappointment.

“They really are not that bad.” I explained. “Maybe if you got to know them you…”

“I will do no such thing!” She snapped. “Those people have no business being here. They should go back to the snow where they belong.”

She frowned her brows like a little child. “And what about you?”

“Not to worry. Still single.”

She mumbled something unintelligible. But it wasn’t hard to imagine what it could be about.

Kath and me both looked up when we heard the sound of a familiar war-horn resonate through the forest.If was evident my mom didn’t hear it, as she would have taken the opportunity to continue her complain about the _vikings_.

Kath was silently begging me to come up with an excuse to leave. Which happened to be my specialty.

===

The docks were filled with people waiting to greet their family and friends. They were congratulating them on what had obvious been a successful trip, and there was a handful of children hoping to receive some trinkets from a far away place. Their seer Valka was handing out creams and herbs to anyone with minor injuries, and to everyones relieve there was no indication that anyone had been badly wounded.  
  
Katharine spotted Toke at the docks. He was hastily looking around for someone, and it was obvious it was her. My earlier question got answered. There was no need to kick anyones ass today.

Eivor was the last one to step off the boat. She was greeted to a woman with copper red hair, and even at a 20 meter distance it was clear something was off between the two of them. Their greeting was brief, but the way they checked their environment before walking off together stirred my interest.

Curiosity got the better of me, and I made my way past the crowd to see where they were going.  
They had moved behind the barracks, out of sight from everyone. It was hard to see in the dark, but the red head seemed to be leaning in for another hug, while Eivor politely pushed her away. Eivor raised her voice in native tongue, and a heated conversation followed.

“Here you are!” One of the guys who I had met the first night greeted me. “Your friend is waiting for you inside.”

My eyes briefly went back to Eivor and the other woman.

“You don’t want to get in the middle of that.” He warned. “Randvi and Eivor have a long history.”

_Randvi? Was that the other woman’s name?_

  
  
===

  
Kath shoved a large jug of mead in my hand the moment I stepped inside the longhouse. “Here, drink.”

“Are you trying to get me drunk?”

“Definitely.”

Although it was not my favorite drink in the world, it was more than welcome right now. I took the jug, and downed the mead in one go.

The Norsemen were impressed. “SKAL!” They roared and followed my lead.

The noise died down as a familiar raspy voice came from the back of the longhouse.

“Friends! Familie! Warriors!” Eivor waited a moment for the hall to go quiet. “We have returned safely!” The crowd cheered before her. There was no sign of distress on her face, just a genuine smile. Had I misinterpreted their conversation?

“It wasn’t easy.” She continued “Those enemies were fierce. But they were no match for the Raven Clan!” Again everybody cheered. People were chanting her name, the Clan's name, they were chanting for their jarl. Their... _Jarl_? How had I not realized this before?

After a few heroic words Eivor opened the feast and walked off stage. She went straight into the back room, followed by Randvi. People hastily moved between food stands to fill their plates, but nothing could avert my eyes from the room where Eivor had disappeared too.

“Come on Mary, let’s get you something to eat.” Kath handed me a plate.

“I’m not hungry.”

“I know you’re not. But you haven’t eaten anything since this afternoon.”

The bread and meat she had put on my plate did little to stir my hunger. After playing around with it for a bit, I excused myself. “I’m going outside for a bit. I need some air.”

The sun had already set and I welcomed the cool breeze against my skin. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. There really was nothing better then the mixture of burning firewood and fresh air. It was one of those smells that could make you feel instantly nostalgic.With the mead in my veins and a feeling of content, I made my way towards to docks.

As I arrived at the river a familiar silhouette caught my eye. It was her.Eivor was sitting at the edge of the docks, staring into the water.   
The mead gave me enough courage to go over there and talk to her. I scraped my throat to announce my presence. “Hi.” I whispered.

She looked up at me and my heart ached by the sad expression on her face. “Hi yourself. I’m afraid I’m not really good company right now.”

This woman had been occupying my thoughts for the past 10 days. She was the reason I hardly ate, and she was the reason that I was still here with a drink in my hand although I clearly should have quit 3 rounds ago. The idea that she didn’t want me here right now didn’t seem fair. So the risk of being rejected was well worth it.

Although her gaze had already left mine, I sat down next to her. “Maybe I can do something to cheer you up, or I could just listen in case you need to talk?”   
Most people were either in the longhouse attending the feast, or went straight to their huts to celebrate their return in a more private manner. Either way, there was nobody here that could hear us.

She sighed. “Do you remember what I told you about love?”

I withheld my answer until she finally looked at me. “Of course.”

“Promise me to never fall in love? Save yourself the heartache.” Her words were picked carefully. She had told me everything without revealing anything.

“So I guess you saw him again?”

She opened her mouth to say something but stopped herself. She nervously started fumbling with her hands, and it was a very un-viking thing to do.

“I see this person almost every day.” She eventually said. “And you know what’s weird? I’m not even in love anymore. But it still hurts because the other person doesn’t want to let it go.”

“He is still in love with you then?”

There was a hint of amusement in her voice. “Something like that.”  
  
She sat up straight and stretched her back, letting out a deep breath. “But enough of that, you’re here to cheer me up.” Her hand hit the dock as a sign for me to hurry. And I had the feeling it didn’t matter what I said as long as I took her mind of the subject.

“Alright let me think.” I turned away from the water to face her. “I practiced with the axe!”.

The memory of my axe fiasco amused her. “Who did you fight?”

“A tree.” It was the only thing I had ever hit with an axe.

She gave a chuckle. “Did you win?”

“Well let’s just say I have some pretty good firewood right now.” I bragged.

There was a genuine laugh coming from her, and for the first time since the bear incident, there was a sparkle in her eyes.

“So you don’t need my help anymore then?” She pouted her lip, which in contrast with the huge scar on her face, made her look somewhat adorable.

Learning how to fight or hunt had never been high on my to-do list. But I was willing to learn anything if she would be the one teaching.  
“Oh I can handle trees. But there was this rock that kind of looked at me funny. I’m not sure if I can take him on all by myself.”

Another laugh escaped her and I was pretty proud of myself for cheering her up.

“How about tomorrow we take on that rock together?” She offered.

My heart fluttered by the invitation. “Definitely, it’s a date.”

She smiled at me. “It’s a date.”


	5. Learning to fight

“You’re wearing trousers.” Eivor made her horse come to a halt and leaned forward to give me a better look. “I like it.”

I did a 360 degrees spin to show off my proper warrior attire. It was the only pair of pants I owned, and although very comfortable, I had not wore them once.

The horse was quite a surprise. It was an indication that we weren’t going to stay in the area, and the idea of going on a little road trip excited me. “Do you want me to…?” My words trailed off as I walked around the animal.

“That’s the idea.” She patted the empty spot behind her. “I could get you your own horse if you like?”

A childhood memory involving a moody horse and a lake made me politely decline her offer.“Not a big fan.”

“You will be fine.” She held out her hand. “Put your foot on the stirrup and jump.” With some hesitation I did as I was told, and in one swift motion she pulled me up behind her. “Now hold on to me with both hands so you don’t fall off.”  
  
There was no obvious place to hold on to, so I settled for her hips. She took both my hands in hers and guided them around her waist. “Tighter, we’re going off road.” When the horse started moving I clenched myself closer to her back.

My fear was noticeable. “I will go slow ok?” She promised me. It wasn’t her I didn’t trust though.

I rested my head against Eivor’s fur cloak trying to focus on her instead of the animal below me.   
“Please tell me another one of your stories. They are soothing.”

She laughed. “Stories about war and raids are soothing? How about I tell you one about our Gods?”

“I would like that.”

She told me tales about their Gods Odin and Thor. And one about the Valkyrie Brunhilda.  
Their Gods sounded so much better than ours. But she made everything sound better, so it wasn’t a fair comparison to begin with.

“Where are we going?” My voice was heavy. The vibration of her voice against by body, and the soft cloak against my face had made me drowsy.

“Stay awake and find out.”

Is snuggled deeper into her cloak. “I’m sorry. I’m just so comfortable here.”

She didn’t answer, but instead squeezed my hands just a little tighter to let me know she had heard me.

===

  
“We’re here.”

We arrived at a small creek in the middle of the woods. An old fire pit indicated someone had been here before, but there was no sign of civilization. No roads, no houses. Its was just us, the creek and the little waterfall providing its water.

“What is this place?”

“Do you like it? I used to come here often when we had just arrived in Mercia. It’s my secret hideaway.”

“It’s beautiful.”

She jumped off her horse and held out her hands. “Let me help you.”

Unsure of where to start, I tried to lift a leg and swung it over the saddle. Instead of Eivor’s hands, I got hold of her shoulder to balance myself. Not calculating in the height of the horse, I tumbled over. She grabbed me by my waist and pulled me in closer to make sure I wouldn’t fall.

Her lips turned into a smirk. “We need to work on that as well.” She took a step back, leaving me flustered. “Let me tie up the horse first. She needs to drink.”

A drink sounded like a very good idea right now. For a lack ale I settled with some cold water. The creek was clear and very inviting. I splashed some water on my face and behind my neck to freshen up.

“Warm already? We haven’t even started yet.” Eivor joked.

For a moment I had forgotten about the purpose of our trip. She handed me one of her axes. “Lets see what you got.”

“Alright, straight to the point I see.” The axe was heavy. Very different from my own. It had a bronze color and little Norse markings on the blade. The handle was wrapped in leather which felt very comfortable. It was obvious she took good care of her weapons.

With both hands I lifted the axe above my head, giving it my best shot.

She covered her mouth, trying not to show her amusement.

“Are you laughing at me already?”

“Never.” She mumbled into her hand.

“I do recognize sarcasm you know.”

“This is just entertaining.” The chuckle turned into laughter and I wasn’t sure if I should be happy for making her laugh, or feel offended.

“I can hardly lift this thing. How can you hit someone with that?” It felt like we had come all this way for nothing. There was no warrior in me. This was just embarrassing.

“Come here.” She stood behind me and folded her hands over mine, repositioning my fingers around the axe. “Just like this. If you bent your elbow this way- it will be much easier to keep it steady.”

She slowly released my hands. “Now keep them up.” I flinched when I felt her hands on my leg. “Put your feet there- and slightly bent your knee.”

Before my arms gave way with the weight of the axe, she had repositioned herself behind me again. Her hands on mine.

“Alright, now hold the axe in a 45 degrees angle and go like this..” She carefully swung the weapon in a steady pace towards an imaginary enemy. “That’s how you aim for someones throat.”

The words should been horrifying, but her voice that close to my ear made everything better.   
There was no way my blush went unnoticed, and I was more than grateful she didn’t acknowledge it. She continued showing me different moves and she taught me how to block attacks like a professional.

To my surprise, by the end of the day, I had the basics pretty well under control.

“You were not doubting my teaching skills were you?” Eivor taunted me as she stoke up the fire and settled down at one of the logs.

“Well no, I was doubting my ability to learn.”

She smiled. “Here, I brought you something to eat. And…” She threw a leather flask onto my lap.

“Mead?”

“Ale. I noticed you don’t like mead.”

Besides the flask she had brought bread, various cheeses and fruit. “You’re spoiling me.”

She raised her eyebrows and gave me a smug smile. It was the kind of arrogance that would normally annoy me in people. She just wore it far too well.

We had our diner, talked and drank. Even though we came from completely different worlds, we were more alike than we thought. It was easy to talk to her. She was funny, incredibly smart and for some reason showed an interest in me. She asked about my friends, my village, my life. Although there was nothing of interest to tell her, she made me feel special for telling it.

While trying to reposition myself on the log, a sharp piece of wood stung my hand. The impact and the sight of the splinter made me hiss.

Eivor sat down next to me. “Let me see.” She took my hand in hers and brushed a drop of blood away. “It’s deep. Hold still.”

I shut my eyes as I noticed she wanted to get the splinter out with the tip of her knife. “Don’t worry. It won’t hurt.”

She pressed the cold flat surface of the knife against my hand and pushed the piece of wood out. “You can open your eyes again.”

I let out a breath in relief. “Thank you.”

Her thumbs brushed against the palm of my hand where the splinter had been. Making sure I wasn’t bleeding anymore. “You’re welcome.” She looked at me and smiled. The sudden cry of her raven made her jump.

She looked up. “That’s Synin’s way of telling me there are wolves in the area. We should head back.”

Eivor got back on her feet and started packing up. She lifted me onto the horse and handed me her cloak. “Here put this on. It might be cold up front.”

My next question got answered when she settled herself behind me. She explained it was saver this way in the dark, since she couldn’t keep an eye on me if I was sitting behind her. There was no complain from me. I leaned back into her embrace as she let the horse ride us back home.

We took the path through my village since it was too dark to go through the woods. I felt relief when the roads appeared empty. It would be scandal of the year if someone saw me with a _Dane_. Although absolutely unfair, it was not something I wanted to face right now.  
  
Eivor stopped in front of my house and helped me off her horse. Thanks to the ale my balance was even worse than before. I leaned on her shoulder once again and tried to turn myself to one side. When I started to slip she carried me down by my waist. Only this time she didn't step away when my feet touched the ground. “I had a really nice time today. Thank you.”

“I should be the one thanking you. For teaching me how to fight, bringing all that food and saving me from a splinter.” Her breathing was visible in the cold, which reminded me to give her back the cloak. I swung it over her shoulders and closed the clasp at the front.

She wanted to say something but swallowed her words. Instead she leaned in and gave me a soft kiss at the corner of my mouth. She let it linger for a brief moment before pulling away.

“Goodnight Mary.”

She climbed back on her horse, glanced at me once more, and gave me the faintest of smiles before she took off.

With my hand on the door I watched her ride into the darkness. _Why did she kiss me?_


	6. The Trip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally managed to finish the next chapter!  
> Please don't pay attention to any historical or storyline inaccuracies. It's just a story, not a history class or game recap. ;)

The scroll in my hand felt heavy with possibilities, yet none had dare to reveal itself. I had been staring at the blank parchment for two days now in the hopes it would clear my mind, or at least tell me some of its secrets. But I had yet to find the words that could describe my feelings and I wondered if they even existed. It would be so much easier if I could write down a sound instead, because all I wanted to do is scream. My fingers traced the paper in front of me. _It’s so empty in contrast to my mind._  
  
My friend was sitting across from me on the bed, scribbling away in her sketchbook. Although good with words, her real talent was drawing. She could capture anything she lay her eyes on.

 _Maybe I should try drawing?_ Although an accurate representation of my mind would be loads of lines and ink stains right now. Paper was too expensive for that.

We sat here for almost an hour, and I wondered if she had noticed the lack of inspiration on my end.

“Kath?”

“Hmm?”

“What does it mean when someone kisses you _here_?” My finger touched the spot where Eivor had kissed me two days prior.

She looked up and narrowed her eyes in amusement. “Well, I would say the person shows a clear interest in you and is being very respectful in doing so.” Her attention went back to the task at hand like nothing happened.

She surely must have understood the question? What was the question anyway? What confirmation did I seek? I dipped my quill in ink again to stay prepared in case inspiration would strike. It was the most productive thing I had done all day.

“Did you enjoy kissing Eivor?”

“What?!” The quill dropped onto my dress and I silently cursed the stain it left behind.

“You heard me.”

“I…uh…I don’t kn…”

“Mary, I am not stupid.” She put her sketchbook aside to give me her full attention. “I have seen the way you look at her. Every time you speak her name there’s this little sparkle in your eyes. The same sparkle you had just now.”

I scoffed. “You’re seeing things.”

“That might be so. But that doesn’t answer my question.- Did you enjoy kissing her?”

My mind wandered back to the day we had. Our ride through the forest, the training, our dinner at the campfire and the way she had looked at me. What would have happened if Sýnin hadn’t interrupted?

I pictured myself back on that doorstep. Even though the memory hadn’t left my mind since, it was still unclear to me what had happened. Gwen and Kath had kissed me loads of times over the past few years. I never once questioned their motives. So why did I question hers?

Then it hit me. It was not so much the kiss that had bothered me, but the fact I hadn’t kissed her back. There was a sudden ache in my chest with the realization that I might have missed my chance. And the idea was killing me.

“Kath, do you think I might be in love with her?”

She gave a knowing smile. “You’d think?”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “How is this even possible? When did this happen?”All this time I had been wondering about Eivor’s motives. But I never once stopped to think why I cared so much in the first place. It was so obvious.

“Please don’t tell anyone.” I pleaded.

“Of course not. This is between you and Eivor.”

 _Me and Eivor._ After two days I finally saw the words come to life on my scroll. I suddenly had a lot to write about.

Katharine got up from the bed. “Lets go.”

“Excuse me?”

She kicked my shoes towards me. “We’re going Ravensthorpe.”

=====

“This is a really bad idea Kath.”

“On the contrary, it’s a very efficient idea. I want to see my boyfriend, and you want to see your soon-to-be girlfriend.”

The word _girlfriend_ sounded foreign to me and a bit premature. “You don’t know that.”

“I have a sense for these things. Trust me.” She took my hand led me towards the barracks to meet Toke.

“Katharine!” He greeted her. “What a surprise. What are you doing here?”

She threw herself in his arms. “I missed you.” His crew mates started to whistle and comment as she kissed him.

“Come on guys. These supplies are not going to move themselves!”

My breathing hitched by the sound of Eivor’s voice behind me. The surprise on Kath’s face urged me to turn around, and I immediately understood the reason behind it.

There she was, carrying a heavy-looking crate towards the ship without her usual armor or tunic. My mouth fell open as I watched her walking by in nothing more than a pair of trousers and a linen band around her breasts. Her body was covered in beautiful black drawings and her arm muscles flexed with every step she took.

“Mary, are you ok? You seem a bit overheated.” Katharine’s voice was muffled by the sound of my own heartbeat, and I could only move my head from left to right to let her know that I was indeed _not ok_.

I didn’t need to check my face to know I was completely flustered. But it was impossible to avert my eyes from the half naked Viking at the docks. She made me feel things I never knew existed, let alone feel. My eyes jumped from her tattoos, to her arms, to the way the drops of sweat on her back glistened in the sun, and the way her hips swayed as she walked towards the ship. There was too much to take in and I kind of felt like a pervert for staring.

“We should go.” During my retreat, Kath’s protest echoed through my mind. She wasn’t going to leave yet and she didn’t want me to leave. _Fine, don’t follow._ I muttered to myself while trying to process what I had just witnessed.

Lost in thoughts I had missed my exit and found myself near the longhouse instead.

“Mary!” Eivor yelped while almost bumping into me. “What are you doing here?”

It took everything in my power to stay focussed on her face. “I..I was just going home.”

“You came here to get home?!”

“No I mean, I was here, with Kath. Now I’m going home.” That still didn’t answer her question but it was best to just stop talking.

“Do you maybe want to stay for a drink? I need to carry one last crate to the ship, and then I’m all yours.”

I swallowed hard. Every sensible part of my brain screamed to make a run for it, but my body seemed to have a different opinion on the matter.

“Just take a seat. I won’t be long.”

She guided me towards one of the benches inside, all the while I was debating which part of myself I should be listening to. As I watched her carry that last crate outside, my brain accepted its defeat. It wasn’t even a fair fight to begin with.

A noise from one of the other guests made me check my surroundings. Nobody seemed to have witnessed my awkward behavior. My fingers found the bracelet on my wrist I had borrowed from Katharine, and started tracing its beads one by one like a rosary.Maybe now was a good time to focus on religion. I still had the potential to be a nun after all.

My short-lived spiritual moment came to an end when a jug of ale was placed in front of me. I prepared myself for another confrontation with the half naked woman who was putting me through all this. Although her eyes were stunning, I had a hard time focussing on them. “Where are you going?- With the ship I mean.”

“We’re transport some supplies to one of our allies. But I have time for one drink.”

“It must be nice to travel all the time.”

She sat down opposite of me. “It is.- Why don’t you come along?”

“What? Are you serious?”

“Why not? It’s a safe trip, we have plenty of room, and we will be back tomorrow morning.” She was dead serious.

“Tomorrow? Where will you sleep?” It was the first thing on my mind. I didn’t care for their destination, I didn’t care about the supplies and I didn’t care what was expected of me during the trip. All I cared about were the sleeping arrangements.

“Most men will stay at the ship, if they sleep at all. But you can stay with me at the castle. There’s a guest room which should big enough for two.”

It _was_ everything I ever wanted. Or at least, these last few hours.  
Traveling, visiting a castle, sleeping at a castle, being with Eivor. This was going to be such a bad idea… “I would love too!”

“Then it’s settled.”

After changing myself into an ink-free dress, and Eivor into her normal apparel, I stepped onto the ship. Kath had managed to make me even more nervous by speculating I would probably be sleeping in the same bed as Eivor. Which almost made me cancel my trip and apply for a career as nun. It would have been so much easier. But my mind just kept on loosing its battle on this.

===

We arrived at the castle by night fall.   
Not used to being on a boat for 5 hours, I was happy to set foot on land again. The motion sickness started to wear off as I breathed in the fresh forest air. My relaxation was short-lived as I checked my surroundings. “You never said we were going to King Oswald’s castle!”

Eivor laughed at my terrified expression. “Would you have come if I had told you?”

“No, of course not!”

“There you go.” She replied with that extremely annoying but attractive smug of hers.

She greeted the man in charge of this operation and explained she had brought a guest. Arriving unannounced at a King’s castle didn’t sit well with me, but the man, who introduced himself as Broder, explained it was no problem and welcomed me with open arms. Literally. “We’ll just set an extra plate for the banquet.”

We followed him towards the enormous stone building which was no more than a shadow against the night sky. I had only been to a castle once before during a fair. We had not been allowed past the bailey, but even standing there in the middle of such an immense structure was somewhat overwhelming.   
Actually entering and joining a banquet at King Oswald’s castle was something I could never have imagined happening.

I stayed close to Eivor and Broder as we walked past the guards to enter the castle. There were stories of soldiers killing anyone on sight who dared to enter a castle without invitation. Knowing I wasn’t on their official guest list made me a bit anxious.

As we entered the bailey I looked around in awe at the liveliness around us. There were soldiers marching, lords drinking and women in beautiful clothing living their every day lives. There were groups of people singing and dancing, all the while chickens and pigs were running around free. It was utter chaos.

I felt Eivor’s hand in the low of my back. “Don’t get lost.”

“How come you’re not more impressed? It’s so beautiful.”

“It’s not the beauty of a building that impresses me.”

It was hard to tell if she was flirting or making a profound statement. For my own sanity I went with the latter. A nervous breakdown was not something I could afford in front of a King.

Our guide led us through a corridor which was larger than any of the buildings in my own village. The walls were decorated with paintings, torches and flags. And at the end it lead up to an even larger room, again fully decorated with pictures of its previous owners and kings.

Large tables filled with food and expensive looking silverware stretched the length of the room. At the very end, on a platform, a table was set for 5 people. It was clearly meant for the host.  
The servants quickly made new table arrangement so I could sit next to Eivor at that very table.

As the fanfare announced the arrival of King Oswald, everybody raised from their chairs to show their respect to their king. My fingers once again started to count the beads on my bracelet in a rapid motion until Eivor cupped my hand. “Don’t worry. He’s a good friend.”

King Oswald and his wife Queen Valdis gave her a warm welcome. When she explained my presence I received the same familiarity. “A friend of Eivor is a friend of ours.” They explained.

As soon as King Oswald opened his banquet, the room filled up with the deafening sound of clanking silverware and porcelain plates. When the noise settled down I heard Eivor talking to Broder who was sitting next to her. As I studied their body language a feeling of jealousy creeped over me. It was yet another emotion I had never experienced before today.

Until this morning I didn’t even understand my feelings towards the woman beside me. Who would have thought that half a day later, I would be sitting at the Kings’ banquet, being jealous because she was talking to someone else. I couldn’t help but grunt by the insanity of it all.

After dinner and a bit of entertainment from the courts jester, the tables got cleared out and the guests were requested to move into the next room. It was smaller than the previous one, but ten times more impressing.  
The floor in the middle was decorated with black and white tiles, and there were huge columns around it to support the ceiling. I followed their notches all the way up and gasped at the with gold decorated paintings overhead.

“Impressive isn’t it?” Eivor followed my gaze. “It’s new. A rather modern design as well. In a few years all castles will look like this.- Or so they say.”

My eyes were fixed on the ceiling wondering how it was possible to make such perfect art at that height. “It’s amazing."

“Mary, do you like dancing?”

“Dancing?” Her question made me realize we were in a ballroom. I’ve heard of these places, but never imagined them being like _this_. “I am not very good at dancing.”

She held out her hand. “I’ll be the judge of that. Shall we?”

“Together you mean?” The ceiling suddenly lost my interest.

“Of course. Why not?”

 _There are a million reasons.  
_She seemed to confident in her question it was hard to say no. I let go of my insecurities and took her hand as she guided me onto the black and white floor.

“I learned some of these dances during my stay at various castles. I’m not very good either, so I apologize in advance for stepping on your toes.”

The idea of a Viking learning a Saxon ballroom dance made me laugh. She wrapped one arm around my waist and with the other she firmly held up my hand in hers. She pulled me in closer. “Ready?” Her hoarse voice made my legs feel weak and I feared they would give way during our dance. But like everything else she did, her moves were steady and confident.

As we swayed to the music I realized how modest she had been about her dancing abilities. I wasn’t too sure if we were doing the correct dance, but it didn’t matter. We moved as one as if we had been doing this for years, and we made it seem believable. When my focus was not longer needed to counting steps, I dared to look up in my partners eyes. I had so many questions and so little answers. What was she thinking?

She broke eye contact to spin me around and drew me in closer. Our noses almost touching.  
I pulled back by the unexpected intimacy and checked my surroundings to see if anyone had noticed.

Eivor instantly let go of me and took a step back. “I’m sorry. You don’t seem comfortable."

“It’s ok, it’s just that…we’re women.” I walked back to the side of the dance floor to hide from peering eyes that only seemed to exist in my head. Of course she knew we were women. The question was, didn’t she care because she could take on anyone who dared to to comment on that? Or didn’t she care because this was just a friendship to her and she wasn’t feeling the same way?

“Nobody mind.- If that’s the problem?”

“I care.” Tension and insecurity didn’t make me the most pleasant person to be around with, I was aware of that. I couldn’t get an apology past my lips because I was afraid to talk about it. Giving an apology would open the door to discussion, and I wasn’t ready yet.

At my own request, she gave up on making me feel comfortable. It was sweet of her to worry, but it had the opposite effect. I urged her to mingle with the other guests since I was happy to just watch people dance. In reality I was staring into nothingness trying to make sense of my own feelings.

“May I have this dance Milady?”

Broder bowed his head like a true gentlemen. I tried to make eye contact with Eivor from the other side of the room in search of confirmation. But she was too busy talking to someone else.

“She won’t mind if I borrow you for a second.” He seemed like a good person, and to be honest, I was kind of curious about their history. He guided me onto the dance floor and the first thing I noticed was my own reaction to his touch compared to that of Eivor’s. This was so different.

“So,” he started. “you and Eivor are friends?”

“We are. I live in the village next to hers.”

He watched her as he spoke. “She really is something isn’t she?”

I swallowed back the feeling of jealousy and prepared myself for the worst. “How do you know her?”

He explained they had worked together for several weeks when they were forming an alliance with King Oswald. They fought side by side, set up camp together and got really close during that time.

The idea of them being all cozy in a small tent made me sick.

As he swirled me around my eyes met the woman in question. She clenched her jaw and crossed her arms while keeping her full focus on us. When the song ended I thanked him for the dance and quickly moved back to my previous post out of the spotlights. It took a whole 3 seconds before Eivor was back at my side. “Was that better?” She snarled.

“He asked me. I didn’t want to say no.”

It was clear she was upset about something, but I wasn’t _entirely_ sure what about.

When the night came to an end, we were escorted to our lodging for the night. We stayed in a large room with one bed in the middle. The red sheets and pillows were made of a fabric I had never encountered before. It was shiny and soft, and undoubtedly very comfortable. The room was lit by few candles and there was a small fireplace in the corner. I felt like a queen in here.

Eivor stayed close to the exit. “Are you ok with sharing a bed? If not I could sleep at the ship with the other men.”

The decent thing to do was to propose the same thing. But in all honesty, it seemed terrifying out there in the dark. My eyes went back to the comfortable looking sheets. The bed was big enough for two, probably even four people. So chances were we wouldn’t even notice each other presence. “No we can share a bed.”

With a relieved smile she stripped down to her tunic and slid under the covers. I lay down on my back next to her, on the far end of the bed. “Thank you for today, Eivor.”

“I’m glad you had a good time.” From the corner of my eye I saw she was facing me but I dared not to look back.

The shiny red bedsheets on my chest rose with every breath, and the moment I became aware of that, the faster they went. I muttered a goodnight when I turned myself away from her to blow out the candle next to me.

There was no way I would be able to sleep tonight. Although very tired, my mind started racing as soon as I closed my eyes. _Why did I agreed to join her after coming to terms with my feelings only 2 hours before?_

After what seemed like an eternity I sneaked out of bed and tip-toed towards the exit for some fresh air. It was a cold night. Too cold to stand here barefooted in a nightgown. But anything was better than being in that bed right now.

I gazed over the castle walls towards the little campfires in the distance. _Those poor men. They must be freezing._

The door behind me creaked open. “What are you doing out here?”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t want to wake you.- I couldn’t sleep.”

Eivor smiled. “Overly excited by the day?”

“Probably.” Did she really believed that to be the reason?

Besides some laughter coming from the campfires it was eerily quiet around us. Only an occasional noise from the stables were a reminder of the many residents in this building.

My body tensed as she put a cloak around my shoulders. “I don’t want you to get sick.”

“Thanks.” I watched her as she stared into the distance at her men. It really didn’t matter what she wore or what she did. She was always just painfully beautiful. I took advantage of this rare moment to stare at her without feeling like a creep.

“So Broder seemed to have enjoyed your company. You have made quite an impression on him.”

The subject I had been dreading all evening had finally come up. “It was not my intention to come in-between you two. I am really not interested.”

She gave me a strange look. “Between us? What are you talking about?”

“He told me you two were close.”

Her sudden chuckle echoed between the castle walls. “Oh god. Not _that_ close. We’re just friends.”

“Oh, I just thought…- never mind.” I had a hard time hiding my smile.

“So neither of us want him. That will for sure hurt his ego.”

I let out a nervous laugh. “I’m sure he will be fine.”

Her breathing was visible in the cold, and I felt sorry for stealing her cloak, again. “Shall we get back inside?”

I hang the garment back in the cabinet, and slid back under the blanket with my back to Eivor. My body was shaking from a combination of cold and nerves. Since the fire had almost died out I could easily hide behind the least embarrassing of the two.

“You’re freezing.”

I pulled the blanket closer and tried to ease my chills. “I will be fine.”

The mattress slightly bounced as she got out of bed to grab another blanket from a trunk nearby. She took it with her to the other end of the room and started stoking up the fire. I watched her shadow dancing on the wall as the flames starting to ignite again. “I think you will feel better if you sit here for a while.”

With some reluctance I threw my legs over the edge of the bed and mentally prepared myself to cross the cold room. I swiftly made my way towards the fire, ignoring the painfully cold floor underneath my feet. As soon as I reached the threshold from stone to carpet my body was able to relax again. “Oh this feels good.”

Eivor pulled up a pillow beside her. “It’s a lot warmer if you sit in front of it.”

“At this point I would crawl into the fire if I could.” I sat down onto the expensive looking cushion, that probably shouldn’t be on the floor in the first place, and let out a sigh of appreciation as she placed the blanket around me.

The sudden rise of temperature made me drowsy. “I could fall asleep right here.”  
Eivor put an arm around me and pulled me close. I was too tired to worry about my insecurities and inner conflict, and relaxed my head against her shoulder. With the feeling of her fingers brushing through my hair I drifted off.

===

I stretched my arms and legs and slowly became aware of my surrounding. The fireplace was the last thing I remembered. So how did I get back to bed? I looked at the sleeping woman beside me and smiled.

“Good morning.” She murmured while keeping her eyes closed. A true warrior must be aware of her surroundings at all time I guess.

“Good morning.- How did I get back to bed?”

“I carried you.” Her eyes were half open now as she got used to the light. “You fell asleep at the fireplace. In my lap actually.”

“Are you serious?!”

She laughed and completely ignored my question. “You are cute when you sleep you know that?”

I buried my head in the pillow. “Nooo…please tell me I didn’t do anything weird. I know I sometimes talk in my sleep.”

For a moment it seemed she wanted to tease me with this information. But my panic must have impressed her enough to change her mind. “You didn’t.”

We lay down on our own side, facing each other. It would have been so easy to reach out for her. To cuddle up against her like I had done the night before. If only I’d remember.

“I like your bracelet.” Her fingers traced the little beads around my wrist.

“Me too, but it’s not mine unfortunately.”

“Still nice.”

Before she could pull away I reached for her hand. There was a hint of surprise in her eyes, even though she initiated it. Or at least I thoughts did.  
I tried to still the trembling of my hand as she intertwined her fingers with mine. _She surely must feel this. I can’t be the only one who feels this!_ My thump brushed hers and I watched as her fingers danced with mine. Barely touching, barely moving. It felt so delicate, yet each brush of her fingertips was painfully noticeable in every part of my body.   
If my body reacted this way by just a touch of our hands. How could I ever handle something more?

We both got startled by a loud banging on the door. “Are you two ready?”

I pushed her hand away and jumped out of bed as quickly as I could. Not caring who it was and if they would see me in my nightgown.

It was clear I had some fears to overcome before I could ever admit my feelings to her.


End file.
